Have you signed up to receive FREE appointment reminders by text message? If not, make sure you contact reception with your up to date mobile number.

YesNo

DID NOT ATTEND

For the month of October 2017 a total of 129 patients failed to attend their appointments:

Doctors : 53

Nurses: 76

This is equivalent to over 19.5 hours’ worth of appointments which could have been offered to other patients.

PLEASE NOTE

Due to an increase in the number of wasted appointments through patient’s failing to attend without informing the surgery it has become necessary to implement the following policy:

If you repeatedly fail to attend appointments you may be removed from this practice list and may be required to find an alternative doctor.

If you cannot attend your appointments for any reason please let us know as soon as possible, giving at least 24 hours’ notice. We can then offer the appointment to someone else.

Thank you for your co-operation

Appointments

An appointment system is in operation for routine appointments, Please note: each appointment slot is adequate time to deal with one problem only. In order to prevent the Clinicians from running late, should you wish to dicuss more than one issue, please inform the receptionist at the time of booking your appointment.

Routine

Appointments may be booked after 11:00am up to six weeks in advance. Please arrive promptly or cancel your appointment if you cannot keep it. Please remember one appointment is for one person only. Sometimes there may be pressure on appointments and we would therefore ask our patients to bear that in mind. Where physically possible we would request all patients take care and responsibility for their health.

Emergencies

Time is set aside throughout the day with both GPs and our nurse Prescriber to cover urgent appointments.

If you feel your condition is an emergency, and cannot wait for a routine appointment, contact the surgery and our Senior practice nurse Sarah Townsley with talk to you over the phone to triage your medical condition.Sarah will take a history of the medical complaint and book an appointment with the most appropriate clinician.

Extended Hours

The surgery opens one morning a week from 7am and one Saturday per month for routine appointments. During this time we have appointments available with both a doctor and a nurse.

(AAA) Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening

A simple scan can tell you if you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This is an enlargement of the main blood vessel in the abdomen and if left untreated can be very serious. Eligible patients will be invited directly by the screening team.

MEN AGED 65+ ARE MOST AT RISK

NHS screening invitations are currently being sent to men ages 65. Any male over the age of 65 can request a scan by calling AAA Screening Office on 0115 924 9924.

Further Information

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 11am if you require a home visit.

A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Health Centre.

SMS Appointment Confirmation

We send all patients with a mobile phone SMS confirmation of all appointments booked with the surgery. Please ensure you keep us updated of any changes to your mobile phone number.

Improving access to general practice: evening and weekend appointments now available

Patients who are registered at this practice can now book an appointment to see a GP or nurse on weekday evenings (after 6.30pm) or at the weekends (on Saturday). Appointments will either take place at this practice or at another NHS setting nearby at Crown Surgery in Forest Town and Abbey Medical Surgery in Blidworth. Talk to the practice receptionist to find out more or book an appointment.

By March 2019 everyone in England will benefit from access to general practice appointments in the evenings and weekends at a time that is most convenient to them. This is part of a national drive to help improve access to general practice and get the best possible outcomes for patients. Further information is available at www.england.nhs.uk/gpaccess